Chapter 20. Ruthless Compassion
Veneluccia turned her head aside to avoid Lucalina’s gaze, which was glowing with hope.
“If I couldn’t marry you, I swore I wouldn’t marry anyone else.”
Veneluccia had loved Lucalina—and had needed to love her.
Not marrying anyone else but Lucalina was the most he could show her at the time.
That was all back when Veneluccia mistakenly believed he would forever love only Lucalina, unconditionally and absolutely.
“But in the end, I still wouldn’t have been able to give you up. And eventually, I would’ve defied my brother, and war would have broken out.”
“Ben, I also only ever wanted to be with you…”
“In the past, yes, that would’ve been true.”
Veneluccia cut her off with a bitter smile.
“Even if war broke out, I would’ve loved you so much that I’d have turned a blind eye to everything else.”
Lucalina’s eyes darkened.
With a trembling voice, she asked,
“Are you saying… that you no longer love me enough to go against Cliff?”
Lucalina hoped desperately that Veneluccia would deny her question. Her face was filled with longing.
But, regrettably, Veneluccia had to cruelly shatter that hope.
“Yes. Not because of my brother, or war… but simply because I don’t love you that much anymore, Luna.”
Veneluccia nodded.
Even in this moment, when he felt guilty towards Lucalina, another person came to mind.
Ironically, that proved just how much Veneluccia now loved Senelia.
Despite having left with pride, he realized it again now.
The truth—that the one he loved was Senelia.
If she hadn’t left him, he never would’ve known.
His obsession with his first love and lingering guilt had made him delude himself for too long.
Veneluccia buried his face in his hands.
Even with Lucalina standing before him in shock… at that moment, all he wanted was to see Senelia.
‘Bastard.’
Veneluccia recalled the insult one of his past lovers had thrown at him long ago.
Yes, truly… he was a bastard through and through.
To Lucalina, and to Senelia.
“That’s not possible. The you from this time…”
Knock knock knock.
Lucalina’s dazed murmuring and Veneluccia’s self-loathing were interrupted by a sudden knock at the door.
Frowning slightly, Veneluccia looked toward the door.
He had already instructed that no one should interrupt before speaking with Lucalina.
So who dared to ignore the Grand Duke’s orders and approach his private drawing room?
“Who is it?”
Veneluccia’s tone was sharp, his mood ruined.
Daring to cross the Grand Duke was no small matter.
But the person behind the knock surprisingly did not hesitate to identify themselves.
“It’s Arante, Your Grace. I have something to report regarding Lady Daphnen.”
Veneluccia’s aide didn’t like Senelia. Yet his voice sounded unusually grave.
Grave enough to speak to the Grand Duke even without permission.
Veneluccia’s heart pounded wildly.
It felt ominous—like something that should never happen, had just happened.
“Ben!”
As Veneluccia stood up immediately, Lucalina also jumped up and grabbed his arm.
She had already been annoyed that the name “Senelia Daphnen” kept intruding between them.
“I’m sorry, Luna.”
But as if unaware of her feelings, Veneluccia once again removed her hand and pushed her away.
His hand reached for the door in urgency.
“What is it? Tell me quickly.”
Veneluccia’s piercing gaze fell on Arante.
Unconsciously, he bit his lip from anxiety—until the taste of blood filled his mouth, yet he didn’t notice.
Under the Grand Duke’s pressure, Arante shut his eyes and answered heavily.
“Baron Daphnen… was killed just earlier in a carriage accident.”
“…What?”
Veneluccia’s heart sank in an instant.
Senelia would never forgive him now.
“Why? How? I mean… what…”
Veneluccia stammered—something he rarely did. That’s how shaken and disoriented he was.
“He was coming to the capital. It seems the carriage veered off a mountain road due to the recent heavy rain.”
Arante’s explanation was horrifying.
Baron Daphnen had only one reason to be coming to the capital.
And that made it all the more terrible.
Veneluccia had shown up to an official event with another woman instead of Senelia. Senelia, in turn, had brought another nobleman as her partner to the banquet.
It signified a complete breakup between the two.
Baron Daphnen must’ve been worried about his daughter and was on his way to the capital.
His daughter, who had stayed with Veneluccia past marriageable age, had finally ended things with him.
If not for what happened between Veneluccia and Senelia, Baron Daphnen would never have come to the capital. And thus, no carriage accident would’ve happened.
Baron Daphnen had been healthy. If not for the accident, he wouldn’t have died.
And yet—he had died.
Veneluccia’s hands trembled. His complexion turned ghostly pale.
“S… Sel… what is she doing…?”
Veneluccia felt like his throat was closing.
He knew exactly who was responsible for this.
He was.
Because he had kept Senelia by his side for far too long—and ultimately did nothing.
“Lady Daphnen used the warp gate and went straight to the Daphnen estate.”
Arante’s words confirmed how panicked Senelia must be.
She had never once used the warp gate permit Veneluccia gave her.
So it had been sitting in the warp gate office, untouched, probably gathering dust.
And yet now—only after their breakup—she finally used it.
“Your Grace!”
As the state Senelia must be in became clear, Veneluccia couldn’t hold himself back any longer and rushed out of the estate.
Arante’s surprised shout rang behind him, but it didn’t reach Veneluccia’s ears.
Veneluccia didn’t even think to summon a servant. He ran straight to the stables and mounted a horse.
He immediately kicked the horse’s side and charged toward the warp gate.
Not bothering to control its speed, the landscape around him blurred. His mind was filled with terrifying thoughts.
Even if I rush out to the banquet hall and grab any woman to marry… I will never marry the Grand Duke.
Veneluccia recalled Senelia’s venomous words to him for the first time.
She hadn’t been that emotional since long ago.
To her, her parents were like a sacred nerve—untouchable.
And her father… because of his and Senelia’s relationship… had died.
Veneluccia was terrified just thinking how horrible his very existence must now be to her.
“Activate the warp gate immediately.”
Jumping off his horse, Veneluccia stormed into the gate office.
He barked urgent orders to the mages.
He didn’t even notice the others waiting at the entrance.
Everyone held their breath at the fierce aura of the nation’s only Grand Duke. The mages moved quickly.
As the warp gate activated, Veneluccia’s vision blurred—
As if reflecting the uncertain future between him and Senelia.
Senelia didn’t even know how she had made it all the way to the Daphnen estate.
She had ridden so fast she almost fell off her horse, but she didn’t care.
When she arrived and dismounted, her face was deathly pale.
Her legs shook uncontrollably. She stumbled and collapsed as she entered the estate.
“Oh dear…! My lady!”
The head maid of the Daphnen household, Amelia, came rushing out upon hearing the horse’s cry and supported her.
“Father… Father, where’s… Father…”
Senelia kept repeating the same words as if she were in a trance.
“His Lordship…”
But Amelia couldn’t continue. Just her expression confirmed what had happened.
“Ah… Aah…”
Senelia’s legs gave out completely, and she collapsed on the spot.
Even Amelia couldn’t support her.
Sitting on the garden soil, Senelia wanted to cry her heart out.
If only she hadn’t heard her mother’s voice just then.
“Get up, Senelia.”
Lifting her head with great effort, Senelia saw the Baroness standing at a distance.
She didn’t approach, didn’t help her daughter up—just stood and looked at her.
At that moment, Senelia’s tears froze in the cold wind.
Frozen tears wrapped around her heart, making it hard to even breathe.
“M… Mother…”
Senelia’s mother had always been strict but loving.
But the look in her eyes now was different.
The Baroness… was resenting Senelia.
